Norfolk and Western 611

[tennexplorer]

The Norfolk and Western 611 is the last remaining "J" class steam passenger locomotive. She was built in 1950 in N&W's shops in Roanoke, VA and up until 1994 ran passenger excursions. Since then she has been on display at Roanoke. She was well preserved when she was laid up and a feasibility study has just been completed to see if she could return to service.

The bottom line is she can. She is in remarkable good shape.

If you like steam locomotives, please go read about what's going on. if things go well, she might be able to participate in Norfolk Southerns 21st Century Steam program in 2014.

Fire Up 611! | Virginia Museum of Transportation

21st Century Steam.com Presented By: Norfolk Southern - The Thoroughbred of Transportation. Creating green jobs shipping freight by rail.

[71firebird400]

My favorite steam locomotive since I was a little kid; N&W really pushed steam further than everyone else. With 80,000 lbs of tractive effort it was one of the most powerful Northerns ever built.

[charlie sherrill]

When I was growing up in the 50's most of the freight trains were still pulled by steam. The passenger trains were pulled by Streamliner diesel/electrics. The Mississippi Central ran close to my house and usually pulled out around 4:00 p.m. headed to Natchez and points in between. It was pulled by two steam engines and almost always had over 100 cars. The train crew, including the guy in the caboose, would always wave at me. They still used kerosene lanterns back then and I have about a dozen of them, two of which have never been fired up. There were four railroads here, two with passenger service. One railroad, The Bonhomme, Hattiesburg and Southern, used two steam engines until about 1980. It was a small short line and it's only function was to connect the other local railroads with the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio from Hattiesburg to Beaumont, Ms. 30 miles away. They always pulled an old wooden caboose and with a note from our parents my cousin and I got to ride in the caboose over to Beaumont and back several times. I got to ride a train pulled by Southern R.R. #4501 back in the 80's. It used to run excursions through here several times a year. I just read where they are rebuilding it and if it comes through here again I'll be on it.

[shouldazagged]

Passenger trains too were pulled by steam locomotives in my boyhood, and what wonderful huge, roaring monsters they were!

I never rode behind a sleek engine like that one. I would remember.

[mjr]

I can just barely remember steam locomotives pulling freight on the Nickel Plate and the Illinois Central when I was a small boy. When sitting in the passenger seat next to Dad when our car was right next to the crossing gate, a Nickel Plate Berkshire steaming by looked like about the biggest thing in the world. Awesome, as the kids still say. I can't remember steam pulling passenger trains, though. It still boggles my mind that the IC was bought by the Canadian National. That's just not right.

[tennexplorer]

There is an ex-Nickel Plate Berkshire running in Indiana. Also participates in 21st Century Steam.

[Muley Gil]

I have driven by the museum in Roanoke numerous times. I really, really need to take time and do the tour.

[Intheshop]

We're going back to museum in a few weeks.

Wifey and I went to Cass a month or so ago for a nice ride up the mnt. and back on a "Shay".

[Intheshop]

See if this works......video on a Shay,filmed in Cass.



Geared Steam Locomotives in Cass WV - YouTube

[S&WIowegan]

I reckon if they need any small parts Bert can help out from his parts box.

[MikeyB]

The J series is a beauty.

Another favorite of mine is the Southern Pacific GS (Daylight).

Southern Pacific 4449 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[stonehorses]

Several years back, Mr. Stonehorses was the pilot engineer of either the 611 or the 1218. Neither of us can remember which. Wish I could find those pics.
Last year, he was selected to pilot the Southern 630. Unfortunately, she was unable to complete the run on the second day due to bearing issues. An NS diesel had to shove her back to Roanoke for repairs.
Here are a few pics. The first two are from the run in 2012. In the third, she is broken down at Singer, near Elliston, VA. The final pics are of her tied down in Roanoke earlier this year.

I hope N&W 611 is returned to service!

[tennexplorer]

630 is up and running and was the locomotive for this years N-S 21st Century Steam excursions. I can't speak for all of them but the Asheville - Old Fort one was fun!

[shouldazagged]

Originally Posted by Intheshop

See if this works......video on a Shay,filmed in Cass.



Geared Steam Locomotives in Cass WV - YouTube

Fascinating! I grew up watching and riding behind steam locomotives, but I'd never seen video or film of one those gear-drive jobs in operation. Thanks for posting it.

[wbraswell]

She's a work of art. Art Deco at it's finest.

[Cyrano]

Wow!! Lots of moving parts there. Almost as many flailing around as when you pull the trigger on a Broomhandle Mauser.

[shouldazagged]

Originally Posted by Cyrano

Wow!! Lots of moving parts there. Almost as many flailing around as when you pull the trigger on a Broomhandle Mauser.

Must have been a treat maintaining a Shay.

[Peter M. Eick]

Having chased the 844 across Wyoming, I was extremely impressed at how FAST those buggers go. It never really dawned on me that they would routinely roar away at 100+MPH on the straights.

When the 611 is up and running I will make the pilgrimage.

Mainline steam is impressive. I just regret not seeing the 1225 under steam. It broke a flue the night before I was supposed to ride it.

[ohiobuckeye]

My grandfather retired from N&W in 1957 and I remember these trains still running until after I grew up and left home. The Powhatan was the passenger train and I think there was a sister locomotive called Pocahontas(?). Very sleek and streamlined compared to the big freight locomotives. We lived about a half mile from the tracks and had to cross them walking to town or to school. The station master had to flag the train if there were passengers to board that day.

[RonJ]

I'd like to invite all of you train nuts to the St. Louis Museum of Transportation. Lots and lots of trains, many restored, and a very nice building filled with classic and unusual cars. There is even an airplane located near the entrance, IIRC it's a C3.

Museum of Transportation - St. Louis

[silentflyer]

As a taxpayer in Va. as long as they don't ask for public funds, good deal.

[mjr]

Originally Posted by Peter M. Eick

Having chased the 844 across Wyoming, I was extremely impressed at how FAST those buggers go. It never really dawned on me that they would routinely roar away at 100+MPH on the straights.

Well, 120 years ago, in 1893, the New York Central & Hudson River RR No. 999--a 4-4-0 with huge driving wheels--is said to have reached 112.5 mph along one stretch of track. Doubt has been cast on this record over the years, but even allowing for public relations department exaggeration, it's clear steam locos built for speed could deliver. The biggest limitation on speed was the quality of the track.

My least favorite line in one of my favorite movies--The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance--is at the end when Ransom and Hallie Stoddard are on the train heading back east, and the conductor brags that they're going to making twenty-five miles an hour! That train at that time should have been making 55 mph minimum, and probably faster.

[Peter M. Eick]

I understand, I just never thought about it. It was not till I was hitting the engine RPM limiter of the Toyota truck trying to keep up that it really sunk in.

I am just glad there is not much (any) traffic on highway 30 in central wyoming that day.